Electrical clutch and the like.



A. P. STBCKEL. ELECTRICAL CLUTCH AND THE LIKE.

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ELECTRICAL CLUTCH AND THE LIKE.

AIfPLIOATION FILED MAR. 23, 1908.

908,707. Patented Jan.5,1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAM P. STECKEL, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

ELECTRICAL CLUTCH AND THE LIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

Application filed March 23, 1908. Serial No. 422,742.

to electrical induction clutches of that type which comprise twomembers, one having oppositely disposed magnet poles, and the other aconducting ring or annulus arranged to revolve between said magnet polesin the magnetic field established thereby. The

electrical currents induced in said ring or annulus by any relative moton between the same and the magnet poles tend to cause the mechanisms inwhich the driven part is he quently started and stopped or reversed, andthey are also desirable as brakes or retarding devices. The conductingring or annulus becomes heated and expands in the use of the clutch, andunless provision is'made to prevent it, is apt to warp and strike thefaces of the magnet poles if the air gap between the poles is small,which it should be to secure the maximum efficiency.

The primary object of this invention is to produce a clutch of this typein which the conducting ring or annulus is constructed so that it hasgreat mechanical strength, adapting it especially for clutches of verylarge sizes or intended for very heavy work, while. at the same time itcan expand freely with- D sitely facing magnet poles.

out warping.

Other objects of-the invention are to construct the clutch so that thedriven member will have the minimum weight consistent with the requiredstren th and power of the clutch, so as thereby to lessen its inertiaand enable it to be more quickly started, stopped and reversed; andalso-to improve clutches of this type in the respects hereinafterdescribed and s'et'forth in "the claims.

These objects are accomplished by conor body supporting the same withintervening spaces between the segments which allow them to expandfreely without materially increasing the diameter of the ring or annulusor causing lateral warping or distortion thereof.

The invention is not limited to the particular construction of thedriving and driven members of the clutch nor to the particular meansemployedfor fastening thesections of thelconducting ring .to theirsupporting wheel or body.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets: Figure 1 is aside elevation, partly in longitudinal section, of a clutch embodyingthe invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, partly in transverse section,thereof. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a modified construction of thedriven clutch member showing ring sections of different forms anddifferent fastenings therefor, and also indicating the paths of travelof the electrical currents in the ring in different positions of themagnet poles. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse section thereof in line4-4, Fig. 3.

Like letters ,of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A and B represent the driving and driven members of the clutch, whichare secured to .different shafts or are otherwise mounted ductingmaterial arranged in a circular" series with spaces between their endsto revolve 1n the air gaps between the oppo- In the construction showninFi s. 1' and 2, the'driving member A consists o a wheel or circularbody and the magnet poles extend inwardly from the rim of the wheel towhich they are bolted or otherwise suit ably secured, and the poles areexcited'by separate electrical windings a surrounding the several poles.The driven member consists of the conducting ring and a supporting wheelor body composed of a huh I) and structing the conducting ring orannulus of lrim b joined by opposite thin or sheet metal a circularseries of segments or sections plates b riveted to flanges on the huband which are separately secured to the wheel 1 rim. The severalsections of the conducting rin or annulus have reduced shanks or nec swhich extend inwardly therefrom midway between the ends of the segmentsand are provided with base flanges firmly bolted to the rim b of thesupporting wheel.

This construction of the supporting wheel is desirable because it islight and stron but the wheel could be of any other suitab econstruction, for instance, of the integral form shown at B in Fig. 3,and the ring segments can be provided with attaching necks b secured insockets in the wheel, as shown in Fig. 3, or they can be secured to asupporting body in any other suitable manner.

The ring segments shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and in the left hand half ofFig. 3 are of I-shape in cross section but they can be of uniformthickness throughout their width, as indicated in the right hand half ofFig. 3, or of other suitableform. The ring segments being independentlysecured, are free to expand independently in all directions, and theexpansion in the direction of their len th, which is the reatest, isallowed without causing latera' distortion by the spaces between theirends. The ex ansion of the separated segments in a radia direction, orperpendicular to their length, is merely proportional to the radialdepth of the segments and is therefore much less than it would be in asolid ring, and the diameter of the sectional ring is not materiallyincreased.

The induced currents in the ring se ments flow in paths substantially asin lcated by the arrow lines in F ig.- 3, and if the ring segments-arenot electrically connected at their ends the intervening spaces causethe currents to travel over longer paths when the magnet poles are at ornear the ends of the segments than when the poles are at or near themiddle of the segn1ents,as indicated at D and D, respectively.Therefore, while the segments if not electrically connected will givefairly good results, it is preferable to connectthem at their inner andouter edges by conductors which allow the currents to cross the spacesbetween the segments-when the poles are-at the ends of the segments, asindicated at D Fig. 3, and travel in paths of more nearly e ual' lengthin all posltions of the poles, whic insures a' more even pull on thedriven member.- The conductors should be flexible enough not tointerfere with the expansion of the segments and they are convenientlmade of copper ribbons or' strips secure to the ring segments. Whenflat-faced segments are ,used the conductors can be secured to the sidefaces thereof, as shown at E in Figs. 3 and 4, but when the I-shapedsegments are employed the conductors are preferably secured to the innerand outer edges of the segments, as shown at E in Figs. 2 and 3,

eosn'o'i where they will not strike the magnet windm s.

n the constructions of the clutch shown in the drawings, the ringsegments are secured to the outer ortion of their supporting memberwhich is located within the sectional ring, whilethe magnet poles areattached to their supporting member outwardly beyond the conducting ringand the magnet poles are excited by separate electrical windings. Thisis a desirable construction for large and powerful clutches, for itreduces the weight of the driven member to the minimum and places thegreater part of the weight of the driving member at the outer portionthereof, giving an added fly wheel eflect thereto. But the conductingring formed of the spaced segments or sections can also be used inclutches such as disclosed in my said patent, in which the conductingring is secured to its supportin member outwardly beyond the magnet p0es and in which the poles are excite by a common electrical winding. 1The arrangementof the magnet poles outwardly beyond the conducting ringis also desirable whether a sectional or solid conducting ring is used,so long as provision is made for the expansionof the ring withoutdistortion. The magnet poles are preferably excited electrically, butpermanent magnets could also be used for small clutches.

,I claim as my invention:

1. A clutch or the like of the character described comprising a; memberhaving oppositely arranged separated magnet poles, and a second c utchmember provided with a series of separately secured conducting.

revolve between rin segments arranged to subsai op ositely arran edmagnet poles, stantial y as set fort 2. A clutch or the like of thescribed comprising a member havin oppositely facing magnet polesseparate by air gaps, and a second clutch member provlde'd withconducting ring segments arranged in a circular series wit interveningspaces to revolve in the air gaps between said oppositely facing magnetpoles, substantially as set forth.

3. A clutch or the like of the character described comprising a memberhavin" oppositely arranged separated magnet po es, and a second clutchmember composed of a supporting body and a plurality of conductin rinsegments separately secured on sai ha y in a circular series withintervening spaces to revolve between said 0 positely arranged magnetpoles, substantial y as set forth.

4. A clutch or the like of the character described-comprising a memberhavin oppositely arranged separated magnet po es, and a second clutchmember provided with conducting ring segments'arranged in acircucharacter detially as set forth.

, 6. A clutch or the like of the character described comprising a memberhaving 0ppolar series with intervening spaces to revolve between saidoppositely arranged magnet poles, and electrical conductors connectingsaid ring segments, forth.

5. A clutch or the like of the character described comprising a memberhavin oppositely arranged separated magnet poles, and a second clutchmembercomposed of a supportlng body arranged Within the circular path ofmovement of said magnet poles and a plurality of conducting ringsegments arranged in a circular series with intervensubstantially asset.

ing spaces at the circumferential portion of said supporting body torevolve between said oppositely arranged magnet poles, substantially asset forth.

7. A clutch or the like of the character described comprising a memberhaving oppositely arranged separated magnet poles,

and electrical windings for separately exciting said poles, and a secondclutch member composed of a supporting body arranged within the circularpath of movement of said magnet poles andaconducting ring carried bysaid supporting body and arranged to revolve between said magnet poles,said sec ond clutch member bein to allow the expansion of sai conductingring independently of said supporting body, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand, this 19th day of March,

ABRAM P. STECKEL. Witnesses:

C. B. HORNBECK, C. lV. PARKER.

constructed

